1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for drying a molded product for non-combustible smoking article and a drying apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Non-combustible smoking articles instead of cigarettes have been developed for enjoying flavor and taste of tobacco or aerosol without combusting any tobacco leaf. The non-combustible smoking article comprises a heat source that is a heat generating member fitted to the tip thereof, and an aerosol generating section in which an aerosol generating material is contained in an appropriate substrate. The heat source and the aerosol generating material are physically separated from each other. In this type of smoking article, the heat source is combusted and the generated heat is used to heat the aerosol generating material in the aerosol generating section without combusting the material, thereby generating aerosol. A smoker puffs the aerosol. As the heat source, a carbonaceous heat source is exclusively used.
A carbonaceous heat source composition is kneaded and then extruded into a rod shape to mold the carbonaceous heat source. Subsequently, the carbonaceous heat source is covered with heat resistant member made of an elastic jacket of glass fibers, for example, on its outer periphery, and then wrapped with an overlapping paper around the heat resistant member. Subsequently, the carbonaceous heat source rod is cut into a predetermined size, and further, the cut rod is cut into pieces for heat sources for individual smoking articles. In each of the carbonaceous heat sources, through-holes are formed in the axial direction thereof, the holes being made to function as an air passage when the aerosol generating section is heated with the carbonaceous heat source and exhibit initial combustion characteristics. The carbonaceous heat source composition contains water in a relatively high content of 20 to 40 wt % so as to be extruded. Some degree of water content is also required in order to cut the rod-shaped carbonaceous heat source in the predetermined size neatly without collapsing the through-holes. However, excessively high water content of the carbonaceous heat source causes problems such as deformation of the carbonaceous heat source, transfer of water to the elastic jacket and the overlapping paper covering the carbonaceous heat source, and decline in the ignitability of the carbonaceous heat source. It is therefore necessary to dry the carbonaceous heat source before the article is manufactured.
The method for drying the carbonaceous heat source includes, for example, hot-air drying or a method using microwave as described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-332067. These methods, however, have a problem that the aerosol generating section is also heated at the same time when the carbonaceous heat source is heated to be dried. When the aerosol generating section is heated, the aerosol generating material contained therein is degraded in quality to result in a problem that flavor are taste are impaired.